CHAPTER 8

 

In the office, I learned from Yoona that Yonghwa will be going out of the country. "He said that his team was assigned to another country by the company he's working at for a certain project. They would be working abroad for two years." Yoona explained.

"Jinjjayo? That's great for him." I gladly said.

"And his departure is tomorrow at 6:30pm." She added.

 

 

Yonghwa's sudden departure surprised everyone. Because of his disappearance that would take too long, everyone would probably miss him especially Kyuhyun. And because of that, we didn't lose the chance to see him for the last time before he departed. Right after work of each of us, we went to the airport. Good thing, everyone wasn't late. All of us were able to bid goodbye to Yonghwa. He hugged everyone starting from his cousin Yoona, then to Kyuhyun, next was Yuri, followed by Hyoyeon. And the last person he hugged was me. He hugged me so tight. He hugged me longer than the rest.

"You take care of yourself. Work well. I know your team will do the best." I said while repeatedly patting his back.

Yonghwa didn't respond for anything that I have said. Yonghwa's long and tight hug caused me to feel something strange. To divert my strange feelings, I gazed at my friends who looked so stunned, except for Yuri who was stooping, obviously expressing a heavy feeling. I wondered what was behind the stunning reactions between Kyuhyun, Yoona and Hyoyeon, and Yuri's different reaction from the others.

 

 

The sudden voice echoing the airport informed about the arrival of one plane, and thereafter, it announced the nearing departure of those scheduled at 6:30pm. The announcement moved Yonghwa to unwrap his arms around me. Before he bid goodbye to our friends, he looked at me first. The expression of his eyes looked the same when I surprisingly saw him silently watching me while wrapping Dasom with her blanket. Were those eyes sad? I didn't understand.

"Annyeong Seohyun-ah." That was the only words he relayed at me.

"Ne. Annyeong Yonghwa-ya. You take care of yourself. Keep safe always." I bestowed caring words.

He just nodded at me. Then he turned to the others. "Annyeong chingudeul. I have to go. My team's waiting for me." Yonghwa waved his hand, gloomily smiled at everyone, turned his back, and made his way to the waiting area for departure.

 

 

When I got home, Dasom greeted me on the door. I saw eomma on the living room. Before I went to the airport, I called eomma to inform about the matter concerning my reason of going to the airport. Perhaps, she perceived that it would take long for me to fetch Dasom, so she brought Dasom home and decided to stay and wait until I arrive home.

"Eomma, thank you for bringing Dasom here. And I'm sorry for this inconvenience." I said.

"Aniyo. It's fine." Eomma understood. "Seohyun-ah, since you're already here, I think I should be going."

"Are you sure eomma? Don't you want to eat first?" I asked.

"We're finished. Dasom and I have eaten outside. And we ordered food for you." Eomma explained.

"Jinjjayo? Neomu kamsahae, eomma." I uttered.

"Arasseo. Seohyun-ah I should be going, okay? I placed the food on the table. It's still hot so better eat that now." Eomma reminded.

"Arasseo."

I took eomma outside, and when she left, I headed to the dining room. Dasom chased after me. She sat beside me. While I was eating, she conversed with me.

"Eomma, did Yonghwa eemobu(uncle) left to another country?" Dasom asked.

"Ne. He would be working there." I replied.

"Jinjjayo? Just like appa, working abroad?"

"Aniyo. Your appa didn't actually work abroad. He was there to undergo treatments. And your Yonghwa eemobu will actually be working abroad." I explained.

"Ah...Ne, I almost forgot that appa's real purpose of going abroad was not to work." She said. "So, it means, that eemobu will be gone for a long while?" She asked further.

"Ne. He will be gone for two years." I explained.

"Jinjjayo?"

I just smiled at her. While I was still eating, I noticed that Dasom was getting sleepy. I immediately stood from the chair, and I invited her to go to sleep. I grabbed her hand and we headed to the bedroom. I told her that I will just finish eating and I will be at her side.

 

 

When I went to the bedroom right after eating, the huge framed-picture displayed on top of the bed caught my attention. I looked at the sleeping Dasom. I sat beside her, looking up to the picture. I didn't know what happened, but when I stared at the picture, it was surprising that it was not Wongeun whom I've remembered. Usually, it would always be Wongeun who would cross my mind everytime I look at the picture. The thought bothered me because that time, it was Yonghwa who seized my mind. I remembered how he stared at the picture, and how his eyes were saddened. Those serious and sad eyes were repeatedly expressed when he bid goodbye to me in the airport. Thoughts about Yonghwa drowned me. It was strange. And what seemed so strange to me was the long and tight hug of Yonghwa. He indeed hugged me longer than my other friends. And the stunning reactions on my friend's faces added to the thought. And last of all, Yuri's different reaction. She seemed burdened, stooping there. All of those strange incidents, bothered me. And I hardly comprehend everything.

 

 

Everytime I look at Yoona in the office, I would always want to ask about her stunned reaction on how Yonghwa hugged me in the airport, because she would never open. The thought really annoyed me but I would always find no clearance about that.

 

 

More than one year have passed after Yonghwa's departure. One day, Yoona initiated to have a gathering. "I already called the rest and they conformed. I hope you're free Seohyun-ah. You can bring Dasom if you're not." Yoona said.

"Arasseo. Tonight I will sleep at eomma's house. Appa is on travel for business, so eomma wanted us to spend the nights with her for the week. I'll just call eomma to tell that I will not go home early." I explained.

"Great." Yoona uttered.

Eomma agreed to the idea and told me that she would just tell Dasom about that.

 

 

In one restaurant, Yoona, Hyoyeon and I waited for Yuri and Kyuhyun. We wondered what took them so long. Then after a long while, they arrived together. "Uhh..The two of you, where have you been?" Yoona bursted without malice.

"Have you dated?" Hyoyeon joked.

"Mweo?" The two reacted in chorus.

"Date?" Yoona and I got shocked.

"Aniyo." Yuri defended while awkwardly glancing at Kyuhyun.

Kyuhyun smiled. "Yoona-ya, I heard that you are dating now. Is that true?" Kyuhyun asked Yoona to change the topic.

"Well...I don't see a point of hiding it from all of you, since you're my friends, right? But anyway, that's true." Yoona admitted.

"Jinjjayo? Then who is he?" Yuri was surprised.

"Do you remember the person I told you before whom I had feelings for? That's him. He's Lee Seunggi, our officemate." Yoona unhesitatingly admitted. Then I nodded.

"Jinjjayo? That's great." Yuri got surprised again.

"Ne. Gomawo. How about you, did the special someone asked you out on a date?" Yoona tried to catch Yuri.

"Aniyo. As what I've said, it's unrequited and I think that would never happen." Yuri explained.

Yoona became frustrated being unable to catch Yuri. Perhaps, she was thinking that the special someone Yuri pertained before was Kyuhyun. Personally, I didn't have any idea who Yuri pertained to. I tried to refrain myself from bursting a laugh at Yoona's frustration.

"Geokjeonghajima Yuri-ya, maybe he's not meant for you. Perhaps, the real special someone is just around." Hyoyeon continued teasing Yuri by jokingly glancing at Kyuhyun after saying those words.

Yoona and I also teased them by laughing at Hyoyeon's meaningful joke. Kyuhyun remained speechless at the girls' teasing. He had no one to ask help since Yonghwa was not around. But he was showing real smile at every teasing. He seemed like he liked to be teased with Yuri since he's not opposing or bestowing any word of hint.

"Kyuhyun-ah, have you developed a romantic feelings for someone special after having a relationship way back in highschool?" Yoona initiated another teasing.

Kyuhyun appeared pressured at Yoona's question. "Stop teasing like that." Kyuhyun warned.

"Waeyo? What's wrong with my question? We just want to know." Yoona insisted.

"Yoona-ya, it's not your birthday anymore." Kyuhyun was determined not to answer.

"It doesn't matter. Anyway, you weren't included before in that kind of question, so I guess it's okay to ask you now." Yoona pursued.

"Ne. I think it would be unfair to Yoona if you will not answer her, 'cause everytime she's been asked, she readily give her answer without hesitation." Hyoyeon helped Yoona convinced Kyuhyun.

"Ne. I agree." I interrupted.

The look on Kyuhyun's face seemed more tensed. I wondered if Hyoyeon's words helped.

He looked at Yoona who was waiting for the response. "Yoona-ya..." Kyuhyun started.

"Are you trying to avoid again?" Yoona bursted.

"Okay. Okay. I know I can't win over you." Kyuhyun gave up.

"Arasseo. Then what's your answer?" Yoona's face painted a wide smile at Kyuhyun's defeat.

Kyuhyun sighed at his defeat. "Okay. I admit that." Kyuhyun became direct to the point.

"Jinjjayo? Do we know her?" Yoona asked further.

"Just leave that to me." Kyuhyun avoided.

"Kyuhyun-ah, just tell us if we know her. After that, there will be no further question. Yaksokhaejyeo(I promise)." The insistent Yoona was really curious.

"I said just leave that to me." Kyuhyun continued avoiding.

"I got it. I think we know her because if we don't, it's just easy to say 'no', right?" Yoona teased, stealing glances at Yuri. Yoona's teasing gestures made Hyoyeon and me to laugh.

The helpless Kyuhyun just responded with a smile. When we insisted him to admit that we know the girl, while looking at Yuri, he bursted "Just think what you want."

On my own perspective, I have thought that Yuri and Kyuhyun were dating but they're in denial. The expressive smiles on their faces revealed the real score.

 

 

Weeks have passed, the deniable couple Yuri and Kyuhyun was caught by me and Yoona holding hands in the mall.

"You're not dating, huh?" Yoona teased, looking at the two different hands intertwining. I laughed at Yoona's expression.

Yuri and kyuhyun's souls were shaken when they heard Yoona at their back. They were so shocked to see us behind them.

"Yoona-ya, Seohyun-ah, what are you doing here?" Kyuhyun asked, revealing the shock in his widened eyes.

"It's us who should be asking that. Plus, those hands." Yoona said, turning her eyes on their still intertwining hands.

Yuri and Kyuhyun's hands immediately separated after realizing what Yoona meant.

"You're caught, and you're still hiding?" I started teasing.

"We're very sorry for hiding, we're just ashamed to tell you." Kyuhyun explained. And Yuri nodded.

"You know that's fine. There nothing wrong about that, right?" Yoona said. I nodded.

"We're very sorry again." Yuri and Kyuhyun bowed.

"That's fine." Yoona said. And I smiled.

Yoona and I left the couple on their own and we went to our own destination.